Ice-making apparatus



Sept. 19, 1950 c. FIELD 2,522,507

ICE-MAKING APPARATUS Original Filed Aug. 30, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGZ.

INVENTOR.

/ ATTORN Patented Sept. 19, 1950 ICE-MAKING APPARATUS Crosby Field, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Flakice Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Original application "August 30, 1946, Serial No. 693,994. Divided and this application April 5, 1949, Serial No. 85,532

6 Claims. (of. 62-106) This invention relates to the congealing of liquids and, more particularly, to the making of ice by freezing laminae or layers into large pieces of more or less regular configurations.

An object of this invention is to provide for the congealing of liquids such as water, cream, fruit juices and the like in a thoroughly dependable and practical manner. A further object is to provide for the freezing of liquids to form layers or laminae which may be frozen together to form large pieces of ice. A further object is to provide automatic apparatus for carrying out the above of such character as to be readily adaptable to varying conditions of use. These and other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out below.

v The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, arrangements of parts and in the several steps and relation and order of each of the same to one or more of the others, all as will be illustratively described herein, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims. 2

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of ice freezing apparatus embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan View with parts broken away of the apparatus of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a view on the line 33 of Figure 1.

In the present application the term ice is at times used in its broader sense as meaning any type of congealed liquid. For example, this term may include all types of water and water-base frozen fluids, such as frozen fruit juices, frozen cream, etc. as well as non-aqueous base frozen fluids. In general, the present application relates to the freezing of thin layers of ice which are of such configuration that they may be fitted atleast partially one within another, and these layers are referred to as laminae.

In accordance with the present invention, large pieces of ice are formed by two or more of these laminae, the thickness of the various laminae and the number which are frozen into one piece, as well as the size of the final product, depending upon the many considerations met with in the practice of the invention. The laminae are frozen upon freezing surfaces which are generally annular. The freezing surfaces may be' cylindrical with the laminae being formed on an outer surface or on an inner surface. Generally speaking, the laminae are made in what may be termed sets or groups sothat small laminae fit' within larger ones, and those of each group are nested together to form a larger body of ice. The nesting operation is started either with the smallest lamina of the group which is nested into the next larger or with the largest lamina which is nested over the next smallest. However, with certain applications of the invention, the laminae are formed on a single freezing surface of such configuration that after each lamina is formed, it is moved away from the freezing surface a distance equal to the thickness of the next lamina, thus to provide a layer of liquid to be frozen.

The laminae may be handled individually so that one is moved in nesting relationship with respect to the adjacent one by mechanical action. The term harvesting is used to refer generally to the removal of the ice from the freezing surface, and specifically to the manner in which the adhesion between the ice and the freezing surface is broken. This may be by heating the freezing surface with electrical resistors in contact with the freezing surface or there may be means to cause a flow of electric current through the freezing surface. For example, current may be induced in the freezing walls by setting up an induction field. This latter is referred to as induction heating and may involve a relatively high frequency potential.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, an annular tank 2 is provided which has an outer wall 4, an inner wall 6 and a bottom wall 8. As shown in the upper left-hand portion of Figure 2, there is a cylindrical ice outlet chute l0 positioned in the tank, the top of which is above the liquid level in the tank; and the tank bottom wall 8 has an opening through which this chute extends so that ice deposited into the chute falls into a storage bin or packaging arrangement (no-t shown). 2 with respect to chute l0 and each other are seven cylindrical freezing units H, l2, l2, 9e15,.

on the outer surface of each of the freezing units.

The lamina from unit I l is harvested automatically and it is then nested over the smaller lamina on unit [2. The two laminae are then frozen together, and the cylinder of ice now of double thickness is harvested from unit l2 and nested Evenly spaced around tank over the lamina on unit l3. This procedure is repeated so that the laminae from the various units are built up one within the other into a body of ice on unit H. The body of ice then released from unit I! and is deposited in chute II] for packaging or storage.

The structure of the freezing units is shown best in Figure 1 where at the left unit I I is shown-i p in section. This unit has a cylindrical freezing shell l8 of magnetic metal having a high coreloss, a top wall 20, a bottom wall 22 and two partitions 24 and 26. Centrally positioned within shell I8 is a spool-like refrigerant-directing core 28 which is spaced from the inner surfac of shell l8 and from the top and bottom partitions 24 and 25. Thus, there is a refrigerant chamber 34 formed above the core to which liquid refrigerant is directed by tube 30 from an expansion valve 3!, and a refrigerant outlet chamber 36 beneath the core from which the refrigerant gas, is withdrawn through a pipe. 38 and chambers 34 and. 36 are connected by a helical passageway around the core formed by ahelical bafile 32 which spans the space between the opposite cylindrical surfaces of the core 28 and the shell. The spaces betweenwall- 20 and partition 24 and between wall 22 and partition 26 and the space within the core are filled. by heat-insulating. means. In order to limit the formation of ice at the top and bottom of shell l8, there are resistance heater girdle coils 39 and 4| positioned, respectively, adjacent the top and bottom of the shell.

With refrigerant supplied to the unit through. pipe 30 and withdrawn through. pipe 38, a thin cylinder or cylindrical lamina of ice is formed on the: central portion of the. outer cylindrical surface of shell 18.. This laminav is harvested by an. inverted harvesting cup 40 which has a non-magnetic metal inner shell 43. of the proper diameter to nest snugly onto the lamina formed on shell. I'8.. The. cup hasa top wall 42. which is. perforated at 44 to provide for the passage of air, when the. cup moves onto and. from its nesting position- When nested, shell 43 is held in contact with the lamina for a time sufiicient to permit the. ice tov attach itself to shell 43, and then the. ice. is. harvested by inducing a current flow and core loss in shell l8. This current flow is induced by a coil 46 which is wound around and spaced from shell 43, and when alternating current, preferably of a relatively high frequency, passes through. this coil, current flows in the wall of. shell 18 of suificient magnitude to heat this shell and release the lamina therefrom. However, shell 43 is of non-magnetic material and there is no substantial current flow through this shell, and the ice continues to adhere thereto so that it may be lifted by raising cup 40. During this harvesting operation, the suction on the refrigerant gas line 38 is cut off so that there is a substantial rise. in the refrigerant pressure within the unit, with the result that the harvesting. operation takes place rapidly and in an efiicient manner.

Cup 40 is rigidly mounted on the lower end of a vertical plunger 48, which is guided at the top inv a sleeve bearing 50, carried by a rotatable arm 52. Arm 52 is rigidly mounted on a sleeve 54 which is rotatably mounted on a stationaryvertical shaft 56' which projects upwardly from and is supported by the base 58 and a bottom stationary sleeve 60. Shaft 56 also carries a lower rotatable sleeve 64, a center stationary cylindrical cam member 62, and at the top of the shaft is an electric distributor 63. Sleeves 54 and 64 are both carried at their ends by combination radial and thrust ball bearings, and sleeve 64 is rotated counterclockwise at a constant slow speed through a bevel gear 66 keyed thereto and driven by a motor and gear assembly (not shown). At its upper end sleeve 64 has keyed thereto a cupassembly operating cam 68 having an upper cam surface 69, and beneath this is a refrigerant control cam 10. Sleeve 54 carries a pair of parallel arms 'H and-'12 (see also Figure 2), each of which is. pivoted to the. sleeve by a stud bolt 13 and carries at. its outer end a swingable link 14, and

these links are pivoted at their lower ends to the opposite sides of plunger 48. Thus, when arms "H and 12' swing up and down, they carry with them plunger 4'83 and cup 4!], and this movement of the cup assembly and plunger is restricted to a. straight vertical movement with respect to the guiding sleeve bearing 50. This vertical movement is transmitted. to arms It and. 12 by the action of cam 58 on a cam follower roller '16 which is carried by arms It and 72. That is, as sleeve: 64 rotates, cam surface 69v rides: under roller 1:6 and lifts. arms- H and 12 and the cup assembly.

As shown best in Figure 2, member 62- has eight-- pairs of parallel slots H; and when arms It and 12 are lowered at each of theseverr freezing po-- sitions and the ice-releasing position at. chute l0, these arms fit into. a pair of. these slots. Thus, the arms are guided vertical-1y so that cup 411 is. swung from position to position. only when the entire assemblage is elevated. Nested withinthecentral recess of member 62 is. a cam. ring 15- which has eight cam ridges 13. Each of. these ridges presents a cam surface 6! which is en gaged by a heel portion 19. on. the end of arm 12 when the. arm is: fully elevated at the respective freezing and ice-releasing positions. Ring 15 carries an outwardly projecting radial. pin 84 which extends through a radial. slot 81 in member 62 and carries at its projecting end a coil spring 83. The other end; of spring-83 iscarried by a. pin. 85

mounted on the side wall of member 62, and

spring 83 is tensioned so as to urge; t5 counterclockwise toward the rest. position shown. When' so positioned, pin 8 I rests against one end wall of slot 87.

Cam ridgesv 13 are tangential to. the outer surface of sleeve 54, and, when the ring is in. its rest position shown, they are positioned as shown with respect. to the freezingstations and chute 10'. Thus, whenever the assemblage is at one of the freezing or ice-releasing positions, heel 19 is in alignment with a cam surface on ring 15 with the ridge of that particular cam surface being disposed clockwise with respect to the heel. Therefore, as arm 12- is raised by the passing of cam surface 69 under cam follower roller 16, heel l9 engages. its cam surface 61 on the respective ridge [3 and exerts sufiicient pressure to swing ring 15 clockwise within member 62'. This movement is against the tension of spring 83, and therefore the ring is in a sense cocked so as to: exert a force against, the heel upwardly and in a direction tending. to swing the arm 12 counterclock-.

slots 11, and the entire assemblage is in the fully elevated position.

The entire assemblage including arm 52 and sleeve bearing 50 is carried by sleeve 54 which is" rotatable on shaft 56 and there is a tendency for the cam follower roller 16 to swing the assemblage counterclockwise with cam 68. This tendency is augmented by the force exerted by ring I5 on heel 19 of arm 1'2 with the result-that with the arms raised the entire assemblage swingscounterclockwise and levers II and 12 are moved out of alignment with the slots H from which they were just withdrawn. The top surface of member 62* between slots l! is formed by a number of cam surfaces I8 and these cam surfaces extend downwardly in a counterclockwise direction from each slot 11 to the next. Thus, as arm 12 is swung counter-clockwise out of alignment with the slot I1 from which it has just been withdrawn, the arm moves'over a cam surface I8 withthe cam surface being disposed downwardly in a counterclockwise direction toward the next slot 11 which is to receive arm I2. I

I As the assemblage swings counterclockwise, there is a tendency for the assemblage to lag cam 68 and therefore the cam follower roller 16 rolls down the cam surface 69 into a slight dwell in the cam surface and during this movement arm I2 swings down sufficiently to disengage heel 19 from ring I5. Therefore; the ring swing-s back to its rest position with pin 8| pressing against one end wall of slot 83. The assemblage continues to swing counterclockwise until the arms are directly over the next pair of slots l1 and at this time cup 40 is directly over the next freezing units. Arm 72 has .then been lowered .sufficiently to encounter the side wall .of its next slot H with the result that the counterclockwise ,.-movement of the assemblage is stopped. Cam 6,8 continues torotate with roller '10 riding over the; rear hump of.',th'e .dwell and thence onto the descending portion of cam surface 69, and this lowers cup 40 onto the freezing unit with the lamina aflixed to.

its inner surface nesting onto the lamina on the freezing unit.

1 As pointed out above, the refrigerant outlet is cut off just prior to the starting of the energization of coil 46 so that the harvesting operation is completed very rapidly. The cut offof the supply of refrigerant to each freezing unit in this man-v er is performed by a valve assembly 80 which has a valve casing 82 and a rotor vI34 rotatably mounted therein. The refrigerant outlet pipe 38 from each of the freezing units passes through a restrictor 86, such as a valve or an orifice, and a refrigerant pipe 88 and a port 89 into valve 82. These ports are spaced 45 apart around the valve casing and the valve rotor 84 has a downwardly projectingarcuate portion forming a port cover 90 which is adapted to close one of the ports. Therefore, this valve rotor is turned step-by-step so that just prior to the startingof the harvesting operation for a particular freezing unit the port for that unit is closed by the valve rotor. The valve rotor turns one-sixteenth of a revolution at each step so that it closes a port for a short period and then it steps on to an intermediate position for an inactive period, after which it is stepped on to close the next port.

Valve body 84 is rotated through a shaft 92 which is coupled coaxially to a shaft 94 mounted in a pair of bearings 96 and 98. Shaft 94 carries a ratchet wheel I00 and a rockable pawl link I02. Ratchet wheel I0!) is keyed to the shaft and the step-by-step movement is transmitted to this wheel by a pawl I 04 carried by a shaft I06 on the pawl link and urged into engagement with the ratchet wheel by an adjustable spring I08. The pawl link I02 is urged counterclockwise to the position shown where it engages a stop I09 by a tension sprin H0 fixed at one end through a knuckle to shaft I06 and (see Figure 2) fixed at the other end through a knuckle *to; a-sl'iaft. H2 carried by a bracket II4 mounted on base 58. Projecting upwardly from the'top of pawl link IE2 is a cam block I I6 whichis adapted to be engaged successivelyby a pair of cam arms I I8 and I20 on cam I0. As pointed out above,'.'cam I0 is carried by sleeve 64 and, therefore, as this sleeve rotates counterclockwise from the position shown in Figure 3, cam arm: I I8 engages the cam block which swings the pawl link clockwise. Pawl I04 is thereby carried so as to gather the next tooth on ratchet wheel I00 and thereafter cam arm I I8. moves past cam block II 53 so that spring H0 swings the pawl link counterclockwise against an adjustable rod. I09 (as shown); the other end of this rod is held in bracket I I4. Duringthis couni terclockwise movement, pawl I04 turns ratchet wheel I00 and, as pointed out above, this is one? sixteenth of a revolution or 22 Thismovement is transmitted to valve body 84 through shafts 94 and 92 with the result that the port is closed for the freezing unit to be harvested; and the harvesting operation for that unit is then carried on. Upon further turning of cam I0, cam arm I20 engages cam block II6 with the result that the ratchet Wheel is advanced another step and this turns the valve bodyso as to uncover the valve port.

The harvesting operation is carried on in the manner outlined above so that the laminae are built up within cup 40 until the smallest lamina from freezing unit I I is in place.- Upon the completion of the harvesting operation at unit'II the harvesting cup assembly moves to 'a stop directly over chute I0 and the cup is moved down into the top of this chute. At this time a resistance heat-- ing coil I22 which is on the outer surface of shell 43 is then energized. This resistance unit'is elec trically insulated from the shell but it is in good heat-transfer relationship so that the shell is heated rapidly. Therefore, the body of icecomposed of the laminae frozen together is freed from the cup and drops down chute I0. The rotation of cam I0 continues during the entire operation and valve is operated, but there is no port 89 in casing 32 in the zone covered by the valve body during the time that cup 40 is positioned in chute I0. When cam =68 completesthe next revolution cup 40is moved into nesting relationship with re spect to freezing unit I I and the cycle is repeated..-

The electrical circuits for energizing heater elerj,

ments I22 and coil 48 are not shown in full. How-. ever, distributor 63 on the top'of shaft 56 has on its cylindrical surface a contactor ring,I26 and a contactor ring segment I28, and when cup 40" is positioned to be nested over one of the freezing units, these segmentsare engaged respectively by a pair ofbrushes I30.gand I32. These segments, are connectedto a source of relatively high fre' quency potential and the brushes are connected through Wires and a series microswitch I34 on arms TI and I2to coil 46. A similar circuit. is provided for heater element I22, there being a pair of brushes I36 and I38 which engage a pair of segments on the commutator when cup 40 is positioned to enter chute I 0. These commutator segments are connected to a source of alternating current and these brushes are connected through wires and a microswitch (not shown) to the heater element. The microswitches are closed by engagement with the end of cam 68 when arms I2 are in their lower position, and as the cam continues to rotate these switches are reopened.

As pointed out above, there are girdle coils I9 and M embedded in insulation at the two ends of amuse 7 the ice forming zone-of each of the freezing units. Thesesgirdle coils supply heat continuously so a'sit'o limit the extent of the formation of ice on the shell surfaces,v and this also determines the contour of the ends of the. lamina of ice. That is, by controlling. the. various factors including the rate of freezing and the amount of heat supplied by the girdle coils, the end surfaces of the laminae may be. varied between a long taper on the outer- Surface and a substantially fiat annular end surface: During the formation of a lamina, the first filznof ice formed is; substantially coextensivewith the inner surface of shell is which is exposed. tor-refrigerant. As freezing continues, however. s'a that the lamina of icebecomes thicker, there issa'tendency for the ice to. creep up and down on the shell soto increase the length of the lamina. The girdlefcoils supply heat to compensate-for heat leakage through-the insulation soastominimize or completely prevent this tendcncyfor the lamina to be extended in length. By supplying a large amount of heat the. lamina may be: caused to build upras a substantially true cylinder with flat end surfaces, and by supplying-a very small amount of heat a very long tapermay beformed. In the present embodiment a taper is provided which is sufficient to assist in guiding cup 40 and the lamina into nested position-asthe cup moves downwardly onto the various freezing units. In the design of the machine the length of taper is influenced by positioning the girdle 0011's: a greater or lesser distance along the freezing wall from the edge of the refrigerant space.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the mechanical features of the above invention and-asr the art herein described might be varied in various parts, all without departing from the scope of the; inventionit is. to be: understood that all matter hereinabovev set forth, or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and. not in a limiting. sense.

. This. application is. a division of Serial. No. 693,994. filed August 30, 1.9.46.

I claim.

1. In ice-making apparatus, a plurality of individual freezing units presenting freezingsurfaces upon which cylindrical bodies of ice of different. diameters are formed, a harvesting element adapted to have ice. frozen thereto, means to. move said harvesting element to and from said freezing units successively in accordance with the: sizes of the respective bodies of ice, and means to harvest each body of ice from itsfreezing surface. after it. has. been frozen to the harvesting element.

2. In ice-making apparatus, the combination of, means forming a tank for liquid to be frozen, a plurality of freezing units of varying diameters positioned in said tank and presenting outwardly exposed cylindrical freezing surfaces upon which cylindrical laminae of ice form during the. freezing operation with the laminae being of such relative diameters that they nest one withinan other, and harvesting-v mechanism including a. harvesting unit.- and-means to move the unit to the largestlamina, of ice. so. that said largest lamina is frozen thereto and thereafter is; released from its freezing surface and to then nestsaid largest lamina over the next smaller lamina...

Inice-making apparatus, a harvesting unit comprising, an inverted cup having a cylindrical wall of non-magnetic: material having an inner cylindrical surface to which a cylinder of ice adaptedto! be; frozen. after being formed on. acylindrical freezing surface, an induction coil surrounding said cylindrical. wall and adapted upon'energization to free theicefrom theireczeing surface, a resistance heater in heat-exchange. relationship with respect to said innercylindrical surface and: adapted to free the ice therefrom, and electrical means to control selectively the energization' of said induction coil and said resistance heater.

4". In ice-making-apparatus, the combination of, means forming'an annular space to receive liquid to be-congealed, a plurality of ice-forming units positioned within said, space and presenting individual freezing surfaces which are so, shaped thatlaminae formed thereon will nest together. and a harvesting assembly including a harvestingelement and means to. move. said element step-by-- step around said harvesting space and gather and nest together the. laminae from the respective ice.- forming units.

5. In a harvesting unity for ice-making appara tus, an inverted cup adapted to nest over laminae of ice at various freezing stations and to have the laminae frozen thereto and then freed from their respective freezing surfaces, and means to move said inverted cup step-by-step around a vertical axis comprising a pair of arms pivoted to swing horizontally, on a sleeve which is adapted to turn' around said vertical axis, a first cam member which is rotated about said vertical axis, a. cam follower carried by said arms and adapted to engage a cam surfaceon said cam member to impart to said arms said swinging movement, a second cam member presenting guiding surfaces which guide said arms in their downward movement so as to direct said inverted cup to various freezing stations, a third cam member, and means associated with said third cam member to impart to said arms turning movement about said vertical' axis whenever said inverted cup is raised from each freezing station.

' 6; Apparatus as described in claim 5, which includes, a fourth cam member, and means operated by said fourth cam member to stop the freezing operation at each freezing station at the time the inverted cup is positioned at that freezing. station.

" CROSBY FIELD.

No references cited. 

